Violin



June 5, 1923.

ALTMEIER VIOLIN Filed June 29, 1921 2 Sheets-Sheet l Patented June 5,1923.

- UNITED STATES JOSEPH ALTMEIER, 0F EVANSVILLE, INDIANA,

VIOLIN.

I Application filed June 29,

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, Josnrrr ALTM IER, a

.citizenfof the United States, residing at Evansville, in the county ofVanderburg and State of Indiana, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Violins; and I dohereby declare'the following to be afull, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enableothers skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use thesame.

The present invention relates to violins,

and aimsto provide an even balanced violin,

the construction and arrangement of parts being such as to equalize thestrains, vibrations and sound in front and in rear of the. bridge, so asto produce an even, smooth and clear quality of tone, which is powerfuland highly resonant.

I A further object is the provision of a violin which is symmetrical atopposite sides of its transverse median line, with the bridge located atthe geometrical center, and there being other features of construction.and formwhereby the sounds produced will be of good quality and alsoharmonious with the string vibrations.

Another object is the provision of novel means for mounting andsupporting the strings at the rear end of the body.

.A still further object is the provision of novel means for mounting achin rest on the body.

The invention alsohas for an object the construction of a violin in sucha manner that the more abundant wood can be used for the, ,body, insteadof requiring a select.

} ends, and said arches are longer than usual, to permit of bow action.

grade of wood, and also making. the construction cheaper and more suitedfor manufacture, as well as enabling the violins to :be made withpractical uniformity in construction and tone. In this connection, itmay be stated that it is well known and recognized that violins as atpresent constructedv are unsymmetrical, requiring differences in thethicknesses in the various portions of the top and bottom, as well asother provisions for obtaining more uni- .form vibrations at the frontand rear, and

owing to such conditions, the ordinary violins when made are found tovary considerably in tone, without apparent differ- .ences inconstructlon, and it is not infrequent for some of the violins having tobe rebuilt or. discarded. The present construction not only provides foruniformity 1921. Serial No. 481,343.

in construction and tone, but also better facility for manufacture, evenfrom woods which have been considered inferior for use in violins.

With the foregoing and other objects in view, which will be apparent asthe de- 7 vscription proceeds, the invention resides in the constructionand arrangement of parts, as hereinafter described and claimed, it beingunderstood that changes can be made within the scope of what is claimed,without departing from the spirit of the invention.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a plan view of the improved violin.

v Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section thereof on the line 22 of Fig. 1,portions being shown in elevation.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged cross section on the line 33 of 1.

Fig. 4 is a rear end view on the same scale as Fig. 3. I

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary enlarged plan view of the rear end portion ofthe body, with the chin rest removed.

Fig. 6 is a sectional detail taken on the line 6-6 of Fig. 4.

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary bottom plan view of the forward end portion ofthe body.

The improvements can be used in a violin of any size, so as to beapplicable to practically all kinds of violins. The body of the violincomprises a top or belly 11, bottom 12, and the marginal wall 13providing the sides and ends; The body has the arches lei at itsopposite sides midway between its The top 11 has sound holes or slots 15arranged adj acent to and curved similarly to the arches 14, and havingtheir ends outturned similar to the ends of the arches 14. The ends 16of the body are curved about the centers 17 substantially midway betweenthe geometrical center of the body and the extremities of the body, andsuch curved portions extend to the ends of the arches. The radii ofcurvature are the same at both ends around the points or centers 17,making both ends of the body alike, and thereby facilitating themanufacture of the violin by the convenient striking off ofthe endportions with a compass or other" implement. The bridge 18 is disposedtransversely at the geometrical center of the violin, midway between the,ends, and is located at a transverse line about which the body,including the top and bottom, arches 14 and sound holes 15 aresymmetrical, thereby making .the Ibody of identically the sameshape infront and in rear of the central transverse axis where the bridge 18 islocated. Vith this arrange ment, the top and bottom can be of uniform thck ss t ro g ut, xcep ing at h e ge where they are attached to the sideand end walls, thus eliminating the requirement, as necessary inordinary Violins, of having the top and bottom of difierent thicknessesat various portions thereof. The usual sound post 19 is disposed betweenand secured to the top and bottom in the transverse center line at oneend of the bridge 18, and a longitudinal bass bar 20 is secured to theinner surface of the top longitudinally thereof at that side of thelongitudinal center line oppos t to the 190 t 0 a ja n t t P" posite endof the bridge. The use of the s und po t and as ar, o doe not destroythe advantages gained, because they are used on account of the variationin the strains, and serve as a compensating medium. The top and bottomare of the same sha e and are bellied in opposite directions, an thelongitudinal portions between the points 17 are substantially parallel,and from the longitudinal lines between the points 17,- the top andbottom extend on compound curves to the side edges and ends, although atthe arches 14 the'curvature is convex, as seen in Fig. 3,

By building the body of the symmetrical f m des ribed, h st of ma a t ris cheapened, by the saving in time and labor, mdi i 'therfi om, Woods nbe us which have heretofore been considered inferior or incapable of usein the manufacture of violins. Instead of requiring select Wood, violinshave been made in accordance with the present invention having a goodquality .of tone, using spruce pine for the top, and

hardwood maple for the back and Walls or- In order to mount and anchorthe strings 21 at the rear end of the body, such strings extending overthe upper edge of the bridge 18 as usual, and to also support a chinrest,

a rear end block 22 is cemented or otherwise secured between the top andbottom at the rear end of the body, and has a tongue 23 risingtherefrom. The tongue or post 23 extends through a notch in the top 11and is disposed transversely. Said tongue or post 23 has a transverseseries of apertures 24, and the strings pass through said apertures andrearwardly over a saddle piece 25 fitted in the rear end portion of thetop 11 behind the post 23. From the saddle piece 25, the rear terminalsof the strings extend downwardly through a transverse anchor piece orbar 26 bearing against the rear end of the body,

and extending across the split 29 at such rear .end. The piece 26secured to the body by means of pegs 28 extending through said piece 26and rear end of the body into the block 22 as seen in Fig. 6, and theparts are all firmly cemented together. Therear terminals of the stringsare knotted, as at 27, under the anchor piece 26, to anchor them to therear end of the body. This construction does away with the usual tailpiece, and the strings extend from the bridge to the rear end of thebody, whereby the tension'on the strings will create a moreperpendicular pressure on the top 11 from the bridge 18, and otherwiseequalize the straius on the body at the opposite sides of such bridge.

The chin rest 30 has lower recess ormortise 31 to it on the upper end ofthe post 23 above the strings 21, whereby such chin rest is convenientlysupported from the rear .end of the body, without using a clamp ,orother objectionable device on the rear end of the body. The chin restcan extend toward the left in a convenient position for holding theviolin in place while playing.

The neck 32 is of substantially the usual form, and extends from theforward end of the body, and has the pins 3,3 in the head thereof towhich the strings 21 extend to be wound thereon for properly tensioningthe strings. The rear end of the neck 32 has a finger board 34 extendingover the top 11 toward the bridge, and the neck 32 has a heel portion135 abutting the forward end of the body. The forward end of the bottom12 has an extension 36 overlapping and cement ed to the heel or abutment35 for making the construction more rigid. A block 37, similar to theblock 22, is also secured within the forward end portion of the bodyagainst the forward end wall 39, and said block has a tongue or post 38rising therefrom through the top. The finger board 84 extends across andbears on the post 38, and a filler piece 40 is preferably securedbetween the post 38 and abutment-35 to fill in the space between theparts. The parts at the forward end of the body are all firmly cementedor otherwise secured together.

In tightening the strings 21, they are preferably lifted off the bridge18, whereby the strings are brought under the same tension in front andin rear of the bridge.

The violin is easy to play, the arches 1 f permitting of free howaction. The strings being continuous from the bridge to the rear end ofthe body also provide for better vi bration than when a. tail piece isused.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is 2- 1. Aviolin comprising a body, a bridge on the body, strings extending acrossthe bridge, a post projecting upwardly from within the rear end portionof the body through the top of the body, said strings extending throughsaid post to be anchored to said end of the body, and a separate chinrest secured on said post above the strings.

2. A violin comprising a body, a bridge on the body, strings extendingacross the bridge, a post projecting upwardly from within the rear endportion of the body through the top, said strings extending through thepost and being anchored to the rear end of the body, and a chin resthaving a recess engaging the upper end of said post above said strings.

3. A violin comprising a body having a block in the rear end thereof,said block having a post rising through the top of the body at the rearend thereof, a bridge on the top of the body, strings extending acrossthe bridge and through said post, an anchor piece for the rear terminalsof the strings secured to the rear end of the body and said block, and achin rest mounted on said post above the strings.

4. A violin. comprising a body, a block secured within the body at therear end thereof and having a post rising through the top of the body, abridge on the top of the body, strings extending across said bridge andthrough said post to be anchored at the rear end of the body, and a chinrest mounted on said post above the strings.

5. A violin comprising a body, a neck having an abutment bearing againstthe forward end of the body, the bottom of the body having an extensionat its forward end overlapping and secured to said abutment, a blocksecured within the forward end of the body and having a post rising fromthe top of the body, and the neck having a finger board extending acrossand secured on said post.

6. A violin comprising a body, a post projecting upwardly from Withinthe body at the rear end thereof through the top of the body for theengagement of the strings to support them above said top, and a separatechin rest fitted on said post to be disposed above the strings.

7. A violin comprising a body, a block secured in the body at the rearend thereof and having a post rising through the top of the body for theengagement of the strings to support the strings above said top, and ananchor piece for the strings at the rear end of the body anchoredthrough the rear end of the body into said block.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification.

JOSEPH ALTMEIER.

